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“Oh, sweetheart, it’s all right.” Laura held out her arms, and her daughter lunged into them, flour poofing a miniature cloud as she hugged her tight. Thank goodness she had made the kitchen child-safe. There were safety locks on the stove and the other appliances as well as the cabinets containing sharp knives and chemicals. Gently Laura turned the child so she could look at her. “I appreciate what you tried to do.”
“You’re not mad at me?” The little girl sniffed.
“Of course not.” Laura ruffled petal-soft hair. “You were just trying to surprise me. But next time, wake me up and we’ll cook together. Deal?” She held out her pinky.
Jeanie returned to her normal cheery self in an instant. “Deal!” She offered her own pinky finger. Laura gave Jeanie another big hug as a loud thunderclap boomed, rumbling tiny reverberations through the air. Laura opened her mouth to suggest retry the pancakes (this time with less batter on the ceiling) when she glanced at the living room clock. She blinked, yet the reading remained the same: nine-thirty. Which meant it was...
An hour and a half past when her alarm clock should have beckoned.
Forty-five minutes past when Jeanie should have left for preschool.
A half hour past when Aidan’s meeting began.
Woops.
A storm-driven power surge must have knocked out her alarm. This. Was. Bad. “Honey, we are very late. Let’s get ready.”
Jeanie laughed in delight as Laura scooped her up and raced to the bedroom. Since she had already selected their clothing, she managed to dress her daughter and herself in less than five minutes, yet she could not speed her daughter’s bathroom time, which involved several dolls using the facilities before her daughter would. She ran a brush through her daughter’s golden locks, forwent the stylish updo she planned for herself and let her own hair fall freely down her back. Fortunately, the preschool provided food, so Laura just grabbed a granola bar for herself. The kitchen cleanup would have to wait. In fifteen minutes flat, they were ready to go.
She should have brought an umbrella. It was apparent the moment they reached downstairs, as rain soaked the world. The storm was as strong as ever, the rain sweeping down in large, slanted waves, scattering debris and turning the sidewalk into a shallow river. However, the five minutes to run back was not an option, not when they were so late. Laura covered Jeanie with her overcoat and made a dash for the car, as the water soaked her, saturating her skin and sending ice through her veins. Protected by the coat, Jeanie emerged dry and happy as she was strapped into her car seat.
It was little sitting in a wet dish sponge. The seat cushion squeaked, water pooling as the fabric stuck to her wet legs. Normally a five-minute drive, the trip to the preschool took three times as long due to the unrelenting weather. With a kiss and a hug, Laura left her daughter with a smiling teacher before tearing off for town hall. The tempest once more forced her to drive slowly, however, and by the time she reached the civic building, she was a full hour and a half late. The spacious parking lot was full, as was the secondary lot and the third, except for a flooded area that resembled Lake Okeechobee. And, as if the universe was sticking out its big cosmic tongue, the rain intensified just as she parked, drenching her even more on the way in.
She stopped for a moment in the ladies’ room to compose herself, halting to stare at the wild woman in the mirror. Her navy cotton dress plastered to every curve, outlining her body in slick precision. Her normally tame hair stood in all directions, wild and windswept, while her skin glowed with diamanté rainwater. She looked more like Tarzan’s Jane than a dignified reporter, but hopefully everyone, including a specific someone, realized her “new look” was due to the weather and not some plan to attract attention. Especially nothisattention.
Fixing herself as best she can, Laura ran through a wide, brightly-lit hallway to the auditorium, stopping every few seconds to dry the droplets leaking onto the floor. She skidded to a halt outside the great metal doors, where the meeting was already in progress. Aidan was speaking, his loud voice booming in powerful tones. With as little noise as possible, she opened the door and slipped inside.
Hundreds of people filled the mauve-colored chamber, overflowing the spindle back chairs and spilling into standing room only. She tip-toed to the reserved press area at the front when the speech suddenly ceased. Aidan speared her with an unreadable expression, his eyes so bright they were almost unnatural. She breathed relief as he continued a moment later, and thankfully no one else seemed to overly notice her arrival or his perusal of such. She flattened herself against the wall and brought out her laptop.
She typed notes as Aidan spoke. A gifted orator, he graced his words with enthusiasm and purpose, delving into intricate details without becoming too technical for the layperson or too drawn out for the more knowledgeable. He presented the collaboration between Pine Ridge and Bancroft Enterprises not simply as a beneficial business venture, but instead as a rare opportunity for both his company and their town. Even she couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities.
After Aidan’s speech, Candace spoke on behalf of the city. Then various town leaders talked about the benefits of the proposed collaboration. When they finished, Aidan returned to the podium for a question and answer session. He responded to a variety of queries related to the proposal, thoroughly explaining each point and assuaging any concerns and issues. Laura took notes for her article, although the questions she most wanted to ask were not voiced. Queries like “What would you do if you found out you had a long lost daughter?” and “What do you look for in a woman who just happens to be the mother of your child?” never made it to the podium. She raised her hand with one that could elucidate matters without raising suspicion.
“Laura.”
She hesitated over Aidan’s use of her first name, a diversion from the surnames he used for previous exchanges. A moment later, she asked in a clear voice, “Mr. Bancroft, if this business deal goes through, what will your personal involvement be?”
The answer should be obvious. The collaboration with Pine Ridge would be a minute fraction of the juggernaut that was Bancroft Enterprises, a tiny piece usually given a maximum two-hour visit a year. Typically satellite offices were run entirely by executives far down on the corporate latter, not because they weren’t important, but because of their relative size to the business as a whole. Although Laura loved her small town and its people, it was not large for a company headquartered in five of the grandest cities in the world.
Aidan took no time to answer. “I plan to take a very hands-on approach to this collaboration.” He nodded at the audible exclamations of surprise. “I realize this is a deviation from my normal involvement in these situations, but something about this town calls to me.” He gazed directly at her. “At least for now, I plan to head up the entire project.”
Hushed whispering buzzed at the unexpected announcement, followed by rapid typing on laptops, tablets and cell phones, creating dozens of social media posts, confirming the unexpected news. Laura should be crafting her own story, yet instead she stayed frozen, staring at Aidan. Somehow a short visit had turned into a prolonged stay. How long could she keep Jeanie hidden? Every minute not at work was typically spent with her, and tiny Pine Ridge left little space to hide.
Remain calm.The only true thing she lost was time – her decision over whether to tell Aidan would have to be made soon, which meant…
She would need to get to know him very well.
“That’s all the time we have for now.” Candace took the stage again. “Thank you for coming to hear about this exciting opportunity, and don’t forget tomorrow is our annual town carnival. Mr. Bancroft has assured me of his presence, if that convinces some people to go.”
It appeared to convinceeveryoneto go, as evidenced by the excited titters, the people rapidly making plans. When Aidan descended the stage to mingle with the crowd, Pine Ridge’s feminine forces rushed to address him, some with subtle moves and others with bold, clear signals. Three women even extended “personal” invitations. Graciously, he declined all, explaining how his hectic schedule left little time for anything but business. Laura slowly made her way to the front. It was time for a fourth invitation.
“Laura, how are you?” Aidan’s smoky voice warmed her. “You look beautiful.”
She narrowed her eyes, fighting to restrain a fitting rejoinder. She looked like a cat who fell in a lake, who emerged only to fall in a river, who then fell into the ocean. And then got eaten and regurgitated by a whale. “Do you like the caught in a thunderstorm look?” she teased.
As if to support her claim, thunder boomed, and the overhead lights flickered for an instant. Aidan’s amusement faded, replaced by dissatisfaction and… concern? “You drove through the storm? Why didn’t you wait it out?”
Why did it suddenly feel like she was back in the principal’s office, apologizing for her first editorial:Does the School Use Road Kill in Their Sloppy Joe’s?“I assumed you weren’t going to wait for me to begin.” She forced a light tone. “It wasn’t too bad. I combined my shower and morning commute.”
